Kensington Palace used to function as an exquisite home to some of the UK’s most illustrious kings and queens. It served as the location for many extraordinary events in a regal past.Initially a private country house, it was modified to something more befitting of a royal dwelling by the eminent architect Sir Christopher Wren in 1689.

Over the following 70 years the palace was at the core of the life and government of the kingdom. Even up until the 19th century it held particular resonance in the cultural consciousness as the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria.Yet more recently, Kensington’s most well known occupant was Diana, Princess of Wales who lived in apartments in the sumptuous palace between the years 1981-1997.

All in all, Kensington Palace is certainly a beguiling landmark to explore.  It has played a vital role in imperial history and is an exceptionally popular attraction for visitors.  Uncover the charms of Kensington Palace for yourself. Explore its enthralling Enchanted Palace for a London sightseeing tour you will never forget.

Ensure you take a break from your in-depth exploration of grandiose Kensignton Palace with a visit to its Orangery. Originally built for Queen Anne in 1705 by Nicholas Hawksmoor – who was more famous for the churches he designed – this is a genuinely extraordinary venue. It happens to be home to one of the very finest selections of tea in London, with over ten different flavours to choose from.  Or, perhaps even savour some pink champagne.

Hampton Court Palace is an equally entrancing landmark to explore. The ostentatious and in many ways infamous Tudor monarch, Henry VIII, is most closely related to this magnificent Palace. He spent inordinate amounts of money on stunning tapestries and majestic paintings and housed and fed an immense court.

The sheer opulence of the Palace is certainly ample testament to his legacy. Traverse the 60 acres of pristine, flawless gardens that run alongside the River Thames, and test yourself against the snaking, meandering paths of the world renowned maze at the Palace, which encompasses over 1,350 square metres. Become enthralled by the many courtyards and cloisters of the Palace, and compelled by the fascinating tales of the Palace’s 500 year history, narrated entertainingly and thrillingly by guides.

Take a London open top bus tour to either Hampton Court Palace or Kensington Palace on New Year’s Day, for a captivating experience. Make your Christmas Day Tours truly memorable: become enthralled by these enchanting landmarks, which hold their own amongst the most extraordinary palaces in the capital.

Visit http://www.goldentours.com/Christmas_Day for more details

Lonely Planet, verdens største reiseguide og utgiver av digital media, kunngjorde nylig at Island toppet deres liste over ”beste reisemål” for 2012, og Reykjavik nådde toppen i kategorien av beste byer.

Begge kåringene er del av Lonely Planets årlige ”Best of”-utvalg, der reisende fra rundt omkring i verden bes om å velge den beste byen og det beste landet for kåringen Travel Readers’ Choice Awards. Deltagerne bes om å velge reisemål som de føler er de beste stedene å reise til i det kommende året og fortelle hvorfor.

Etter hundrevis av nominasjoner for byer og land og over 3000 stemmer til finalistene har Lonely Planet kunngjort resultatene for 2012, hvor Island dominerer.

”Island handler om utrolig natur og i 2012 vil naturen slå ut i all kraft med økt vulkansk aktivitet og økt nordlysaktivitet”, fortalte leserne. ”Reykjavik er hip, kul og liten men tilbyr alt som store byer tilbyr. Gode hoteller, bra mat, natteliv, musikk og natur er bare få skritt unna, og prisene er endelig blitt rimelige.

Island havnet foran Italia, India, Filippenene, Tyrkia, Colombia, Storbritannia, Slovenia, USA og Mexico. Reykjavik ble kåret høyest av byene for neste år, etterfulgt av Lisboa, Istanbul, Barcelona, London, Berlin, Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, New York og Puebla.

I tillegg kronet Lonely Planet Island som en av dets ”perfekte reiser for 2010” og i 2011 var Island årets toppbudsjettsreisemål, og Vestfjordene på nordvestlige Island ble kåret blant de 10 beste regionene å besøke.

For å se hele listen over beste reisemål, klikk her. For informasjon om reiser til Island, gå til www.icelandair.no.

Pure Adventures – CarrrentalinIceland.com offre una grande varietà di avventure, dove il trasporto, l’alloggio, le attività e la natura stessa possono dare una prospettiva completamente nuova sulla vita. Arrivando in Islanda, si entra in un paese di purezza e di silenzio. Ci sono pochi alberi e strani paesaggi ricoperti di lava formano gran parte del territorio. Una vacanza in Islanda significa sperimentare ciò che sia veramente la natura.

Quando sei alla ricerca di un’esperienza di viaggio davvero unica, allora uno dei nostri viaggi personalizzati con auto a noleggio (self-drive) potrebbe essere la scelta per voi. Dandovi la libertà e la flessibilità di esplorare l’Islanda al ritmo che preferite, questi nostri pacchetti stanno diventando una scelta sempre più popolare per i viaggiatori in Islanda. I nostri itinerari vi accompagneranno tra scenari incredibili verso luoghi di grande bellezza naturale. Scoprirete luoghi incantevoli come sorgenti termali, imponenti cascate, pozze di fango bollente, alte scogliere, vasti ghiacciai, spiagge di sabbia nera, caldi torrenti geotermici, freddi fiumi glaciali, lava, vulcani e molto altro ancora.

Non è tanto una questione di cosa fare, ma più di quanto si possa vedere durante la vostra visita in Islanda in una delle nostre vetture. I nostri tour self-drive su misura possono includere ogni servizio che desiderate come trasporto, alloggi ed attività e trasformare così la vostra vacanza in una grande ed indimenticabile avventura tutto compreso.

A parte le fastose vacanze che solo Pure Adventures – CarrentalinIecland.com  è in grado di fornire, offriamo anche itinerari per coloro che sono alla ricerca di una vera e propria scarica di adrenalina. Le nostre Jeep Safari possono andare quasi ovunque negli altopiani. Partecipate al nostro Highland Safari per vedere da vicino alcuni dei più grandi spazi naturali incontaminati d’Europa.

Siate liberi, godetevi l’Islanda con noi.

CarrrentalinIceland.com

You would observe diamonds in such forms like, anklets, earrings, rings, bracelets etc. Being a symbol of love, it can be worn for the rest of your life. There are plenty of diamond engagement rings at Samra, flourishing with all the glitters and shimmers. A quick choice for the memorable occasion is Solitaire Diamond rings. They are encircled by diverse smaller diamond and gem stones. Solitaire diamond rings consist of of various metals such as silver, platinum, gold and white gold.

Diamond Jewelry is an eye-ball, with high recognition; diamond engagement rings have so much to offer you. At Samra, you get a chance to evolve around natural sparks of solitaire engagement rings that speaks the language of love! Cuts in solitaire engagement rings bestow a romantic vintage look.

Pick the best one according to your pocket and budget. This trusted online store has elegant diamond solitaire engagement rings, which easily go well with the band designs of your choice. Solitaire engagement rings appear to be expensive, but investing on them will add charm to your purchase. Samra imparts diamond jewelry that easily complements the band design of your taste and choice.

For any further assistance, contact at http://www.samra.com/diamond-solitaire-rings.htm

About Samra:

Samra, including bridal set, offers striking collections of all types of diamond jewelry. You will find the discriminating touch in every designs of Samra. The hottest collections with authentic quality ignite all the sparks.

Luxury Adventures is about delivering a dream in Iceland and Greenland. Every one of the itineraries planned by the private travel company is individually designed by a destination expert who knows their region from personal experience. The company prides itself in taking its time to get to know its clients and having the knowledge and contacts on the ground to deliver the ultimate travel experience every time.

The company’s approach guarantees that every client’s personal preferences is taken into account, from the beginning to the end, offering a stress-free vacation in Iceland or Greenland.

The team of specialists at Luxury Adventures work with only the highest skilled professionals to ensure that every client’s expectations are exceeded; offering reliable and impartial advice.

With Luxury Adventures guest can experience Iceland, and lift the mystique of this incredible country. Iceland has been described as a never ending painting and once arrived, visitors will smell the fresh smell of the paint and senses will take in the beauty that Iceland has to offer.

The luxury travel providers takes  great pride in its customized itineraries in Greenland. It prides itself in showing its customers around this mysterious island and showing something different, something new, something out of the ordinary.

For more information about Luxury private travel in Iceland and Greenland, visit http://www.lux.is/.

Reykjavik Excursions is offering incredible day tours in Iceland for this top year’s summer experience.

The Iceland tour provider has a wide range of day tours including trips to the Golden Circle, Snowmobiling, Volcano Super Jeep Tour, Reykjavik Whale Watching, Blue Lagoon Tours and tours to Iceland’s western peninsula, Snaefellsnes.

The Reykjavik Excursions’ Wonders of Snaefellsnes tour gives travellers the change to explore the lush valleys, lava fields, craters and the Snaefellsjokull glacier. Furthermore, passengers also get to visit a number of charming fishing villages including Stykkisholmur, as well as making stops at Djupalonssandur and Arnarstapi before returning to Reykjavik.

The Golden Circle tour allows customers to experience Thingvellir National Park, which is the original site of the oldest existing parliament in the world, the world-famous Geysir geothermal area and the amazing Gullfoss waterfall.

Reykjavik Excursions operates one of the biggest bus fleets in Iceland, making the company one of the largest organizers and providers of day and group tours in Iceland. All tours with Reykjavik Excursions are professionally guided in English, German, French and other Scandinavian languages.

To find incredible day tours in Iceland, visit www.re.is.

Den islandske musikkfestivalen Aldrei for eg sudur (Aldri reiste jeg til sørlandet) blir holdt 22-23 april 2011, på vestfjordene på Island. Festivalen blir vist live stream på www.inspiredbyiceland.com , slik at musikk elskere over hele verden kan følge med og bli en del av en av Islands mest populære musikkfestival.

Aldrei for eg sudur blir holdt i de fantastiske omgivelsene på Isafjordur. Festivalen byr på konserter med de største navnene i den islandske musikkbransjen, omringet av vakre fjellsider og sjarmerende fargerike hus.

Det hele begynte i 2004 som en idé av den islandske musikanten Mugison og hans far, som begge er opprinnelig fra Isafjordur. De hadde lyst til å vise Isafjords levende musikk kultur, og ha det mest mulig gøy samtidig.

Siden den gang har Aldrei for eg sudur vokst enorm i popularitet, og er nå en av de største musikkfestivalene på Island . Den avslappede atmosfæren, den unike beliggenheten, og ikke minst fantastiske konserter gjør at festivalen tiltrekker musikk og festival tilhengere både fra Island og utenfor sagaøya.

Artister som opptrer dette året er blant annet FM Belfast, Pall Oskar, Soley, Ensimi, Miri and Lazyblood, og flere. I tillegg blir festivalen i år vist live stream via nettsiden Inspired by Iceland, www.inspiredbyiceland.com, fredag 22. april kl. 20:00 til lørdag 23. april kl. 18:00.

De som ønsker å invitere venner å se på konserten kan sende gratis e-kort med flotte bilder fra Island på, www.inspiredbyiceland.com/stories/e-cards. Der kan du velge din egen hilsen som du kan sende til venner og familie.

Bilde: Anita Bjork

Over 40 people took part in the Velo Challenge which involved non-stop cycling over the course of a day on 7 spinning bikes in the club’s fitness studio and gym.

Teams signed up to cycle for an hour each during the fund-raising day organised by the club’s Fitness Committee. Over £650 was raised for the Bramble Ward, which was the charity of the year for Roger Ellils, Club President from 2010 – 2011.

Kevin Butler, Chair of the Fitness Committee at Exeter Golf and Country Club said, “I am delighted with the enthusiasm for this fund-raising event which is one of many organised by the club each year. Many of our members and staff are committed to helping charities close to their heart and so for us to have so many turn out for the Velo Challenge is really quite special. The Bramble Ward was Roger’s chosen charity during his Presidential year at Exeter Golf and Country Club and I feel proud to have been able to raise money for such a worthwhile cause.”

For further information about Exeter Golf and Country Club, visit www.exetergcc.co.uk.

Nigel Harper the head chef at The Borrowdale Hotel has created a four course dinner which will be matched with a glass of Chilean wine with each course chosen by Stephen Wilcock Master Sommelier and manager of the hotel. The wines will be introduced by Mr Gabriel Fernandez from Torres Chile.

A fun entertaining and informative evening for only £38pp or for only £120pp with a bottle of Torres wine in your room compliments of The Borrowdale Hotel. A menu consisting of Spiced Chilean Sea Bass Fillet, followed by Sopa de los Andes then Chancho a la Chilena and finally Torta de maz de Chile is sure to propel all guests to stunning Chile.

In addition to the fine food and wine tastings, learn about winemaking in Chile were the excellent climatic conditions make it ideal to grow vines. Chile has well differentiated seasons with spectacular temperature shifts, greater even than 20ºC. Also the absence of Phylloxera means that it is not necessary to graft vines onto American rootstock finally the oldest viticultural traditions on the American continent. Spanish missionaries planted the first vineyards. Later, in the 19th century they were re-planted with French varietals.

With over 25 years in the industry, Stephen Wilcock began his career under the tutelage of Francis Coulson and Brian Sack at The Sharrow Bay. He spent 15 years with them learning hospitality in the first establishment to coin the phrase Country House Hotel. Since then he worked at the Michelin star L Enclume at Cartmel and The Samling in Windermere before joining the Lake District Hotels Ltd Group as Deputy Manager at the Lodore Falls Hotel.

For more information on the Torres Wine evening at The Borrowdale Hotel part of the Lake District Hotels Ltd group, visit http://www.lakedistricthotels.net/borrowdalehotel/index.php

A new package deal to the EVE Online Fanfest 2011 is being offered by Icelandair, this includes flights, Fanfest tickets and selected accommodation at an additional cost.

Now in its seventh event, this year’s EVE Online Fanfest is to be held at the Laugardalsholl Convention Center in Reykjavik, Iceland, between 24th and 26th March 2011.

The EVE Online Fanfest is the place to be for first hand announcements, presentations, meet and greets, Q&As, and insights into what lies ahead for EVE Online. Included in this year’s three day festival line-up includes exclusive EVE presentations, PVP tournament, roundtables and discussions, DUST 514 presentations and insights, pub-crawls, live missions, and the fan favourite, ‘Party at the Top of the World.’

Over 2500 people attended the EVE Online Fanfest in 2009; however, this year’s is set to be the biggest yet!

To learn more regarding this year’s EVE Online Fanfest and flights to Iceland, visit http://www.icelandair.co.uk